This invention relates to a retro-reflective pavement marker, especially to one having retro-reflective members hardly separating from a body kept positioned on a road stably for indicating branching of a road,
A first conventional retro-reflective pavement marker shown in FIGS. 1-5 includes a body 1, and a post 10 made integral of zinc-aluminum alloy by means of casting, and a retro-reflective member 11 fitted from outside in a recess 12 respectively provided in two opposite sides of the body. A glue 13 is filled around the retro-reflective member 11 for adhere the retro-reflective members in the recesses 12 after the retro-reflective members are fitted in the recesses 12, combining the retro-reflective members 11 with the body 1.
However, the first conventional retro-reflective pavement marker has the body 1 and the post 10-formed integral to weigh heavy, resulting in a high cost. Further, the retro-reflective members 11 are liable to be compressed by vehicles running on a road to easily separate from and fall off the body 1 as they are glued only with the body 1, after the retro-reflective pavement marker is fixed on a branching line of a road.
Next, the body 1 has a bottom surface 15 formed with a plurality of holes 16 closely spaced apart, so when the retro-reflective pavement marker is fixed on a soft asphalt or tar road surface, it receives the heavy weight of many vehicles so that the road surface may be pressed down in the holes 16 to get a little destroyed or to force the retro-reflective pavement marker decline.
Further, the inner surfaces 110 of the retro-reflective members 11 are smooth and glossy, and stuffing material 14 such as epoxy filled around and under the retro-reflective members 11 to adhere them with the body 1. But the retro-reflective members 11 are only kept combined with the body 1 with their bottom surfaces by the stuffing material 14, so they are quite liable to separate from and fall off the body 1 or get broken because of compression of the wheels of heavy-duty vehicles running on a road,
Another disadvantage of the conventional retro-reflective member is that it can endure only a comparatively light weight as it has only one region of its inner surface glued with the stuffing material 14, impossible to endure the compressing weight of heavy-duty vehicles.
This invention has been devised to offer a retro-reflective pavement marker provided with retro-reflexive members hardly separating from a body, possible to endure heavy weight of heavy-duty vehicles for indicating branching of a road.
One feature of the invention is that this retro-reflective pavement marker includes a body, a base and retro-reflective members. The body has a base cavity for receiving a base and recesses for receiving from inside retro-reflective members therein. Then stuffing material such as epoxy is filled around and under the retro-reflective members fitted in the recesses for combining the body, the bases and the retro-reflective members together integrally.
Another feature of the invention is the recesses receiving the retro-reflective members therein from the inside instead of from the outside of the recesses so as to prevent the retro-reflective members from separating from or falling off the body.